'Too much chutney?': Tragedy turns toxic as trolls target Air India crash on social media

As India reels from the crash of Air India Flight 171, which went down near Ahmedabad with 242 people on board, a parallel storm is brewing online  one not of grief or solidarity, but of racial mockery and stereotype-laced commentary.

While global leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed condolences over the tragedy, some corners of the internet have responded with cruelty and contempt. On social media platform X, user Sensei Kraken Zero flagged a disturbing trend, writing:

“White racists are making racist jokes [about] Indians over the mass casualty Ahmedabad Plane Crash. Horrible people.”

The post came alongside screenshots of remarks that ranged from casual racism to overt hate speech, including comments such as “Imagine the smell,” “Was the pilot drunk? Too much chutney?” and “Indians wrote the software for that aircraft.” Some even went further, blaming cultural identity with statements like “The stench was so bad that the system started to malfunction” and “One less invader machine in the skies, thank God.”

The shocking crash

The crash occurred in the Meghaninagar area, just beyond the airport boundary. Witnesses reported thick plumes of smoke rising from the wreckage. Fire crews and rescue teams reached the site shortly after impact.

The aircraft had issued a MAYDAY call shortly after takeoff from Runway 23 at Ahmedabad airport before crashing just outside the airport perimeter.

The DGCA has sent an investigative team from Delhi to determine the cause of the crash. Authorities have cordoned off the area, and rescue operations are ongoing. No official casualty figures have been released so far.

Industrialist Gautam Adani also shared his condolences, saying, “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragedy of Air India Flight 171… We are working closely with all authorities and extending full support to the families on the ground.”